12 comments:

Research demonstrates people who stay busy with tasks tend to be happier than idle folks are. It also points to saying and doing things which are helpful to others as producing happiness for both the doer and the recipient. And, most importantly it demonstrates that exercises in gratitude, kindness and optimism can make people happier – but only if they keep doing them.

Despite my circumstances, I do remind myself to make the choice to be happy each and every day. I try to seize every opportunity to do things that lift my spirits. I try to say and do things that will help others in practical ways and help elevate their mood into the happiness realm too.

So I can affirm your aphorism, as making the choice to be active, to express myself creatively, and also to be helpful to others works for me. That's why I have established and remain faithful to happiness practices.

Since each of my 4 children were 15 - 16 years of age, I've always asked them waht the true meaning of happiness is. And we've laughed at all the cliches they can come up with. Eventually they get serious and try to give me an honest answer. This year, my eldest said that 'happiness is understanding the person she is evolving into'. I like that answer. It puts responsibility for our happiness into understanding ourselves and in knowing who we are. I think this is an important step before we pursue true happiness.